Complete coverage of Texas Governor Rick Perry

Perry Doesn't Want to be VP

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he's received overwhelming support for a possible presidential run and isn't interested in being a vice president.

Perry told reporters after a Tuesday meeting with state officials that his wife also has urged him to get out of his comfort zone and seriously consider seeking the 2012 GOP nomination.

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He says he's received support from key people in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early voting states.

Texas' longest-serving governor says if a presidential run were unsuccessful, he'd rather keep his current job than be vice president. He noted that Franklin Roosevelt's vice president John Nance Garner once said the vice presidency was "not worth a bucket of warm spit."

Perry has said he'll decide in the next few weeks whether to enter the race.

Meanwhile, Perry is facing intensifying attacks from the tea party movement.

Perry was an early tea party supporter, but some conservative activists have turned sour as he moves closer to launching a presidential campaign. They're particularly upset with his position on immigration, but also criticize his record on public health, spending and his former affiliation with the Democratic Party.

Tea party groups in Texas have shared criticism with the New Hampshire Tea Party Coalition, which now dedicates a section of its website to attacking Perry. The Granite State group also sent emails to supporters warning there's more to Perry than meets the eye.

Perry strategist David Carney concedes that activists in early voting states will be skeptical until they get to know the governor.

Associated Press reporters Steve Peoples and April Castro contributed to this report.